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The Montefiore Windmill is a landmark in Jerusalem. Built in 1857, it was funded by British Jewish banker and philanthropist Moses Montefiore and constructed by the Kent firm of millwrights, Holmans of Canterbury. It was restored in 2012 by Vincent Pargeter and Willem Dijkstra. This history of the mill is taken from the work Holman Bros.,…
Though the use of iron in millwrighting is not as traditional as that of wood, iron has firmly cemented its place as a valuable material in the craft. Two types of iron have been used in millwrighting, these being wrought iron and cast iron. Wrought iron was used mainly for bearings and hinges, as it was…
From Quern to Computer; a history of flour milling by Martin and Sue Watts covers a wide range of topics and this summarises Chapter 12. Alford mill, Lincolnshire built in the 1830s(Photo P. Dolman, Mills Archive Collection, DOLM-07229) The most common method of stone milling used in Britain was and is low milling, whereby the grain is…
Dave Pearce Wicken Windmill Partnership Mike Newland died aged 86 on 15th February. He was a kind, private man, with no time…
Dr James G. Moher A 1795 engraving of Old London Bridge with the waterworks wheels at the northern end visible against the background of St Magnus the Martyr’s church and the Monument Many are familiar with this historic but long-gone structure, which forded the mighty river Thames, but how many know that it had a…
Elizabeth Bartram Two months ago, I introduced our 13th Mills Archive Research Publication “Sugar Mills and Slavery” by Stuart Nisbet. The book has been well-received and there is now a digital edition (see below). At the same time, we curated an online exhibition “Sugar & Slavery: Reproductive Mills” that sheds light on the links between technological developments…
Elizabeth Trout The diaries of Robert Stone give us a rare and fascinating glimpse into the day-to-day working patterns and activities of a Victorian country miller.Robert Stone was baptised on 28 February 1852 in High Wycombe, the son of Alfred Stone, Master Chairmaker and his wife Ann nee Atkins. Robert went to the National School…
Elizabeth Bartram (Director) & Mildred Cookson (Founding Trustee) The story of flour milling is as ancient as civilisation itself, and the story of women in milling has just as long a past.The UK Flour Millers and the Mills Archive Trust have joined forces to explore and celebrate the vital contributions that women have made to…
Since mills first appeared in Britain, the main material that has been used to construct them has been wood. The first mills reported in Britain date back as early as the Domesday Book in 1086. Though there is no mention of windmills, it is confirmed that both water and animal powered mills existed at this…
William Blake Opinions are divided on the question of what the poet William Blake was talking about when he referred to the ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ that plague ‘England’s green and pleasant land’ in his famous poem, best known as the hymn ‘Jerusalem’. It is often seen as a reference to the Industrial Revolution, and some…
